Welcome to The Brick Stand’s weekly spotlight on retired LEGO sets! This week, we’re excited to feature the beloved Winter Toy Shop, set number 10249 from the Creator Expert theme. The Winter Toy Shop retired in 2017, capturing the hearts of LEGO enthusiasts with its festive design and charming details. As we delve into this retired set, we’ll explore its features, design, and why it remains a collectible favorite among LEGO fans.
Winter Wonder Building: Inside the Creator Expert Holiday Scene
The Winter Toy Shop set from the Creator Expert theme is a delightful holiday scene featuring a charming toy shop, a festive tree, and a variety of winter activities. With a piece count of 4124, this enchanting winter wonderland includes a snowman and 8 minifigures with assorted accessories, such as carolers, children, and skiers. Additionally, the set features a battery-operated light, festive wreaths, buildable micro toys, and a teddy bear element. Designed for boys and girls over the age of 12, this set offers a wholesome building experience and measures over 6″ high, 7″ wide, and 3″ deep, with the holiday tree standing over 5″ high. The Winter Toy Shop set was first available on October 2nd and 3rd, 2015, with a price of £64.99 / 69.99 € / $79.99 US / $99.99 CAD.
Cheerful Nostalgia
The Winter Toy Shop set was first released in 2009, as part of the Winter Village line, and is considered to be one of the early sets in this series. This set marked the start of LEGO’s focus on holiday-themed sets, and it quickly became a popular choice for LEGO enthusiasts looking to add to their winter village displays. The set received positive reviews upon release, with many praising its charming design, attention to detail, and the festive holiday atmosphere it created. The Winter Toy Shop has since become a sought-after set among Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) and collectors, due to its nostalgic appeal and its status as a classic holiday-themed set. The set’s re-release in subsequent years has also garnered attention, with some fans appreciating the opportunity to add the updated version to their collections, while others have expressed a desire for more distinctive re-releases. Despite some controversies surrounding its re-release, the Winter Toy Shop continues to hold a special place in the hearts of LEGO enthusiasts, earning its status as a beloved and iconic addition to the Winter Village collection.
Brick Buzz: Winter Toy Shop Reviews and Reactions
The Winter Toy Shop has garnered a range of reactions from fans and reviewers. One reviewer, CherryRose, expressed a sentimental attachment to the set, stating, “But we love them anyway, right? Maybe this set is a blatant rehash. Scratch that, it definitely is.” The reviewer went on to highlight the versatility of the minifigures and the surprising variety of parts, and concluded the review by emphasizing the nostalgic value of the set: “It allows it to remove the unsightly gaps and create something a bit more complete and seamless … it feels like an untouchable, intricate vintage model but at the same time being colorful and welcoming.” Another reviewer, Miyagawa, shared their enthusiasm as a newcomer to LEGO sets, describing the building experience as “great fun,” and expressing satisfaction with the attention to detail. They did, however, note having multiple small pieces left over. Meanwhile, HarleyMeenen praised the set for its display value, stating, “the end display is fantastic.” HarleyMeenen also appreciated the variety of minifigures, finding the set to be a charming decorative piece. Lastly, J14T14, who missed out on the original set, viewed the re-release as a welcome addition to the Winter Village line, commenting, “this is a perfect representation of this much beloved line.” J14T14 particularly enjoyed the innovative building techniques employed in constructing the Christmas tree and the overall fun and engaging nature of the set. Overall, the Winter Toy Shop set has left a positive impression on fans, both old and new, for its nostalgic value and charming display qualities.
All the reviews for this article were provided by Brickset.com: Winter Toy Shop Reviews
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In this week’s spotlight, we delved into the charming Winter Toy Shop, a beloved set from the Creator Expert theme. With the product number 10249, this set retired in November 2017. Be sure to check back in next week as we continue to explore more retired LEGO sets in this weekly series.
